Graff
A surname most often linked to the German word for “count” or “earl,” though in some places it may also reflect older forms of Graf.
The #2,762 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 23,644 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The main explanation for Graff is German Graf, meaning “count” or “earl,” a noble title that also appears in Dutch as de graaf. The spelling with -ff is a common surname variant and may reflect regional or historical spelling habits rather than a different root. Some 19th-century sources also connect Graff with older or related surname forms such as Graf, Graefe, or de Graaff.
History
German and Dutch surname books treat Graff as a form of Graf, and related spellings are found widely in German-speaking and Low German areas. In English-language records, the name often appears through immigration from German or Dutch-speaking communities. Because the underlying word is a title of rank, the surname likely began as a nickname, status name, or as an identifying byname for someone associated with a count’s household or court.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same root behind Graff is also the source of English words like “grave” in the old sense of an official or dignitary, via related Germanic title words.
From the historical record
“GRAF GRAF GRAFF (Ger.) Earl, Count [Ger. graf, O.H.Ger. grdv{i)o; cogn. with O.E. gerdfa, a reeve] GREL(L)IER (Fr.) Slender, Slim [f. Yr.griU, O.Fr. graisle, Lat. gracil-is\”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)